• Last updated 11/5/12 by Cynthia Mosher

Labour is about managing the pain. When this is lost, we turn to others. My contractions suddenly felt on top of each other. I was acutely aware of their pain. My mental attitude had broken. I hit a wall The pain had not intensified by my interpretation of it had. This was fearfrom the pain instead of acceptance of and moving through the pain. Into my mind the words ‘pain killer’ blazed, like a saviour. The names of drugs learnt about in NCT classes crossed through my mind. I couldn’t cope any longer. Feeling a failure, I shakily asked for... read more

• Last updated 4/25/12 by Mothering Editorial

By Linda EpsteinWeb Exclusive - October 15, 2007 I was dreaming. I was speaking with a man whose wife had just had a baby. He showed me a box high up on a shelf. As he pointed to the box he said, "That's a contraction." I replied, "Really? Let me look at it." I reached way up to take the box from the shelf and I felt the contraction. "So that's a contraction," I replied in the dream. And when I woke up, I was indeed in labor. My pregnant belly had been experiencing a lot of activity for more than a week, each time teasing me into thinking the baby was coming. But... read more

• Last updated 11/9/12 by Melanie Mayo

A TV news reporter called me today. She wants me to make an on-camera comment about a recent mix-up in a Virginia, MN hospital.  Despite the many safety procedures hospitals are required to have in place, a newborn baby was placed in the wrong mama’s arms for a few brief minutes, and perhaps nursed on a breast that did not belong to him. The families involved are understandably shook up. I’m sure the poor nurse is horrified, and probably in trouble. Hospital administrators instantly and publically abandoned one identification procedure in exchange for... read more

• Last updated 11/9/12 by Melanie Mayo

Thank you to Cynthia Overgard for sharing this blog post with us. It was originally published on Cynthia’s blog, HypnoBirthing of Connecticut.  No doubt about it: Deep breathing, visualization and relaxation tools are powerful when it comes to having a positive birth. HypnoBirthing not only helped me, but hundreds of my couples to have comfortable, natural births. But the tools alone aren’t enough, and they won’t serve anyone who walks into the hands of an obstetrician with a sky-high cesarean rate. Embracing Change To me, changing practitioners... read more

• Last updated 4/19/12 by Mothering Editorial

Get your home ready for the new baby by preparing a simple altar as a powerful symbol for your birth. Choose a place on a dresser, a windowsill, or a low table. Cover the area with a beautiful cloth or leave it bare. Add some candles and incense. Look for some interesting rocks when you go for a walk. Maybe you have some seashells you’ve collected in the past. Select items that make you feel good and strong. Or choose objects that are meaningful to you in a religious or spiritual way. Include a small fountain, photos of beloved ancestors and... read more

• Last updated 11/9/12 by Melanie Mayo

Lisa Barrett and Gloria Lemay I’m excited looking forward to Sarah Buckley’s keynote talk this morning here in Nashville, about oxytocin, or as she calls it, “Liquid Love.” It’s been fun getting here a little early (arrived Tuesday evening to teach my all-day pre-conference workshop yesterday based on my book Parenting for Peace)… and meeting lots of new and fabulous folks from the worldwide field of midwifery. Have already heard a few chilling tales worthy of Orwell of the harassment that can be visited upon birth attendants who actually trust... read more

• Last updated 11/9/12 by Melanie Mayo

I’d like to introduce this blog by sharing with you a personal story, of how my son came into the world. Pregnancy and birth is where the amazing, life-changing journey of parenthood began for me. It also sowed the seeds of my writing. It is Ewan who continually reminds me to follow my instincts, who helps me to parent more naturally. My pregnancy and early labour were natural and gentle, with few medical interventions. Sadly, Ewan was eventually delivered by emergency caesarean section. As traumatic as this was, we were also relieved he was born a... read more

• Last updated 10/23/12 by Melanie Mayo

She’s curled up on the couch, waiting, a ball of baby and emotions. A scrambled pile of books on pregnancy, labor, baby names, breastfeeding…not one more word can be absorbed. The birth supplies are loaded in a laundry basket, ready for action. The freezer is filled with meals, the car seat installed, the camera charged. It’s time to hurry up and wait. Not a comfortable place to be, but wholly necessary. The last days of pregnancy— sometimes stretching to agonizing weeks—are a distinct place, time, event, stage. It is a time of in between. Neither here nor... read more

• Last updated 1/20/12 by Mothering Editorial

Late pregnancy is a time when fears may resurface, and art is the perfect medium to address challenging emotions. Gather together five small sheets of paper, an envelope to hold them, some inexpensive finger paints, and several large pieces of paper. Choose some open-ended time when you won’t be interrupted for awhile. On the small pieces of paper, write down five things that you are afraid of at this time in your pregnancy. Use just a few words or a title that signifies the fear, then fold the papers and place them into an envelope. When you’re ... read more

• Last updated 3/18/13 by Melanie Mayo

Related Articles: Sidebar: Medical Indications For Inducing Labor By Nancy Griffin It was a sunny Friday afternoon, and Tracy was three days past the due date for her first baby. After finishing up the tenth call of the day from well-meaning but anxious friends and relatives, she headed out the door for her weekly checkup with her obstetrician. "If you don't go into labor by your next appointment, we may have to induce you," her doctor had advised. Tracy wondered if the slight menstrual-like cramps she'd had the past few days meant that something was happening... read more